CapeCodSoul

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems...

June 10, 2013

A new addition to CapeCodSoul.com. We are now offering print critiques. Would you like to improve your work and learn from a Master/Craftsman Photographer?

If you are on Cape please call us at 508-737-0885/capecodsoul@gmail.com to set up a time. If you are off cape we now offer print critiques online. We use dropbox to transfer files (up to 10 images per 1 hour critique), set up a time and we do the critique via phone while we are both viewing the images. A great way to improve your photography and start learning what goes into a merit image! Below are the twelve professional elements we use for each print critique.

The Twelve Elements have been defined as
necessary for the success of an art piece or image. Any image, art piece, or
photograph will reveal some measure of all twelve elements, while a visually
superior example will reveal obvious consideration of each one.

The Twelve elements listed below are
in accordance to their importance:

Impact
is the sense one gets upon
viewing an image for the first time. Compelling images evoke laughter, sadness,
anger, pride, wonder or another intense emotion. There can be impact in any of
these twelve elements.

Technical
excellence is the print
quality of the image itself as it is presented for viewing. Retouching,
manipulation, sharpness, exposure, printing, mounting, and correct color are
some items that speak to the qualities of the physical print.

Creativity
is the original, fresh, and
external expression of the imagination of the maker by using the medium to
convey an idea, message or thought.

Style
is defined in a number of ways
as it applies to a creative image. It might be defined by a specific genre or
simply be recognizable as the characteristics of how a specific artist applies
light to a subject. It can impact an image in a positive manner when the
subject matter and the style are appropriate for each other, or it can have a
negative effect when they are at odds.

Composition
is important to the design of
an image, bringing all of the visual elements together in concert to express
the purpose of the image. Proper composition holds the viewer in the image and
prompts the viewer to look where the creator intends. Effective composition can
be pleasing or disturbing, depending on the intent of the image maker.

Presentation
affects an image by giving it
a finished look. The mats and borders used, either physical or digital, should
support and enhance the image, not distract from it.

Color
Balance supplies harmony
to an image. An image in which the tones work together, effectively supporting
the image, can enhance its emotional appeal. Color balance is not always
harmonious and can be used to evoke diverse feelings for effect.

Center
of Interest is the point or
points on the image where the maker wants the viewer to stop as they view the
image. There can be primary and secondary centers of interest. Occasionally
there will be no specific center of interest, when the entire scene collectively
serves as the center of interest.

Lighting—the use and control of light—refers to how dimension, shape
and roundness are defined in an image. Whether the light applied to an image is
manmade or natural, proper use of it should enhance an image.

Subject
Matter should always be
appropriate to the story being told in an image.

Technique
is the approach used to create
the image. Printing, lighting, posing, capture, presentation media, and more
are part of the technique applied to an image.

April 16, 2011

Hi Everyone,

I want to share this link. You can UL your own photos and make gifts online. I met with the reps yesterday at the Photo Trade Show at PPANE (Prof Photogs ASSOC of NE). I really liked the custom gifts for Mother/Fathers Day. (Especially the Day Planners/Journals with custom photos)

The quality is superior and the prices are competitive and affordable. I was very impressed with the quality of the Gifts and Products offered. It's free to check out, no monthly fees etc. Just click on link, view products and decide what you would like to order:-)

November 8, 2010

Please check back often during the holiday season . We will be uploading new aerials daily from Provincetown to Bourne of Cape Cod Harbors and Golf Courses. Watch for the Grand Opening of our new User Friendly Online Store

October 16, 2010

On Sunday we will be in Lucy J's Glass Booth on the lower parking lot near Frank-N-Swine. Come visit us....New Aerials including Wellfleet 20x30, and the New Nauset Outer Beach Cut. Lucy's beautiful Jewelry and Stained Glass.Lucy is displaying both Sat and Sunday. Due to the wind, Marcia (me) will only be there on Sunday. Aerial photos and wind do not blend:-)

September 27, 2010

by:
Wally Johnson
Jeff Duggan earned All Liberty League honors with a tie for 5th on Sunday

eff Duggan shot rounds of 75 and 74 to finish tied for fifth, leading St. Lawrence University's men's golf team to a fourth place finish at the 2010 Liberty League Championships in Rochester on Sunday.

The Saints qualified as one of four teams to play for the Liberty League automatic NCAA qualifying spot in a spring playoff. They will join tournament champion Skidmore, which shot rounds of 297-291 for a 588 total, Rochester, which was second at 594 and RPI which finished third at 615. SLU shot 618 with Clarkson fifth at 659, Hobart sixth at 667 and Merchant Marine which finished seventh at 706.

Players from Skidmore and Rochester took 12 of the 14 top spots in the tournament with Duggan one of the few to crack the top ten. He earned All Liberty League status with his finish.

Ren O'Connor tied for 13th for the Saints with rounds of 80 and 75 for a 155 total while Pete Harriman shot 76-81 for a 157 total and was tied for 15th. Adrian Bouthot shot 82-76 and John Harris put together back-to-back rounds of 79 for 158 total to tie for 17th.

Tommy Ferguson shot 86-77 for a 163 total and was tied for 25th while Jasper Heaton shot 90-78 for a 168 total and tied for 32nd.

September 24, 2010

Enjoy a hands on photography class about ‘Seeing The Light; The Art of Photography’, with Award Winning and Master Photographer, Marcia Joy Duggan, owner of CapeCodSoul.com of Orleans. The primary focus of this course is working on location with natural light and getting back to the basics of photography. This class will visit different locations in Orleans and the surrounding lower cape towns including beach locations. This course will concentrate on scenic photography and still life’s using natural light. Through demonstrations and hands on practice at weekly field trips you will learn about light, lenses, composition, subject matter, exposure, equipment and more.

Requirements: Students should have basic working knowledge of their camera equipment DSLR. Class is for beginner, intermediate to advance amateur. Students may bring their own props/still life to photograph. Comfortable Clothes. Optional: Tripod, Camera Manual

April 30, 2010

Liberty League Rookie of the Week Jeff Duggan St. Lawrence (Orleans, MA) Duggan helped St. Lawrence to the team title at the Oswego Invitational with a fourth place individual finish, shooting rounds of 76 and 72 for a 148 total.

April 28, 2010

Congratulations Jeffrey and Ren, Golf Stars of the week at SLU and the SLU Golf Team! Ren shot a 71 and 76 totaling 147 for the 2 day tournament and placing 3rd overall. Jeffrey shot a 76 and 72 totaling 148 placing him 4th overall for the 2 day tournament at Oswego. SLU Golf Team won the 2 day Golf Oswego Invitational.

April 25, 2010

Enjoy a hands on photography class about ‘Seeing The Light; The Art of Photography’, with Award Winning and Master Photographer, Marcia Joy Duggan, owner of CapeCodSoul.com of Orleans. The primary focus of this course is working on location with natural light and getting back to the basics of photography. This class will visit different locations in Orleans and the surrounding lower cape towns, including beach locations to capture the ‘sweet light’ at sunset. This course will concentrate on scenic photography and still life’s using natural light. Through demonstrations and hands on practice at weekly field trips you will learn about light, lenses, composition, subject matter, exposure, equipment and more.

Requirements: Students should have good working knowledge of their camera equipment DSLR. Class is for beginner, intermediate to advance amateur. Students may bring their own props/still life to photograph. Comfortable Clothes. Optional: Tripod

Enjoy a hands on photography class about ‘Seeing The Light; The Art of Photography’, with Award Winning and Master Photographer, Marcia Joy Duggan, owner of CapeCodSoul.com of Orleans. The primary focus of this course is working on location with natural light and getting back to the basics of photography. This class will visit different locations in Orleans and the surrounding lower cape towns including beach locations. This course will concentrate on scenic photography and still life’s using natural light. Through demonstrations and hands on practice at weekly field trips you will learn about light, lenses, composition, subject matter, exposure, equipment and more.

Requirements: Students should have good working knowledge of their camera equipment DSLR. Class is for beginner, intermediate to advance amateur. Students may bring their own props/still life to photograph. Comfortable Clothes. Optional: Tripod

April 10, 2010

Amateur photographers, happy to accept small checks for snapshots, are underpricing professionals.

From Marcia:

This article is SAD, however a true reality for all photographers who have worked a lifetime to understand light, posing, business and all the professional techniques to separate amateurs from qualified and dedicated professional photographers. I still believe that those of us who have the GIFT of making exceptional photographs and are committed, will not only survive, but thrive as long as they adjust and adapt their business skills to the digital era.I am in the process of updating my online store through Imagekind and offering hands on photography workshops this summer....'Seeing The Light, Back to the Basics'. Thank you all for helping me see the light and stay focused over the last few years!marcia

April 9, 2010

Enjoy a hands on photography class about ‘Seeing The Light; The Art of Photography’, with Award Winning and Master Photographer, Marcia Joy Duggan, owner of CapeCodSoul.com of Orleans. The primary focus of this course is working on location with natural light and getting back to the basics of photography. This class will visit different locations in Orleans and the surrounding lower cape towns including beach locations to capture the ‘sweet light’ at sunset. This course will concentrate on photographing scenics, still life’s and portraiture including tips on posing and fill flash. Through demonstrations and hands on practice at weekly field trips you will learn about light, lenses, composition, subject matter, posing, exposure, equipment and more.

Requirements: Students should have good working knowledge of their camera equipment DSLR. Class is for beginner, intermediate to advance amateur. Students may bring their own props/still life to photograph. Comfortable Clothes. Optional: Tripod

Enjoy a hands on photography class about ‘Seeing The Light; The Art of Photography’, with Award Winning and Master Photographer, Marcia Joy Duggan, owner of CapeCodSoul.com of Orleans. The primary focus of this course is working on location with natural light and getting back to the basics of photography. This class will visit different locations in Orleans and the surrounding lower cape towns including beach locations. This course will concentrate on photographing scenics, still life’s and portraiture including tips on posing and fill flash. Through demonstrations and hands on practice at weekly field trips you will learn about light, lenses, composition, subject matter, posing, exposure, equipment and more.

Requirements: Students should have good working knowledge of their camera equipment DSLR. Class is for beginner, intermediate to advance amateur. Students may bring their own props/still life to photograph. Comfortable Clothes. Optional: Tripod

February 25, 2010

So as some of you know, and for those that don't, I took part in course of the winter intersession called Planet Forward, which was a video production class that produced short films about current environmental issues. The videos are then uploaded onto the Planet Forward website, which is run by PBS, and come summertime the highest rated videos on the site will be chosen for the one-hour live broadcast of Planet Forward on PBS.

So with that said, I produced a few videos, one of which I felt confident enough to put on the site, and it is finally up! click on the link to check it out! Sign up to become a member and rate it, too, because the more ratings it has, the better chance it will have to make it onto the one-hour nationwide broadcast!!

February 22, 2010

So as some of you know, and for those that don't, I took part in course of the winter intersession called Planet Forward, which was a video production class that produced short films about current environmental issues. The videos are then uploaded onto the Planet Forward website, which is run by PBS, and come summertime the highest rated videos on the site will be chosen for the one-hour live broadcast of Planet Forward on PBS.

So with that said, I produced a few videos, one of which I felt confident enough to put on the site, and it is finally up! click on the link to check it out! Sign up to become a member and rate it, too, because the more ratings it has, the better chance it will have to make it onto the one-hour nationwide broadcast!!

August 13, 2009

You Catch It, You Cook It!
BlueFish for People Who Say, ‘They Don’t Like BlueFish’

2 Small Bluefish Filets (the smaller the better) SKIN ON, No need to scale.
IMPORTANT: Bleed fish as soon as it is caught and then put it on ice to keep fresh. This prevents the Bluefish from becoming ‘Fishy’.
Serves 4

1. Coat the flesh side of the Filet with Zesty Italian Dressing
2. Liberally sprinkle the flesh side with Paul Prudhommes Seafood Magic Seasoning. This spice is the secret to this great recipe!
3. Place the Filets flesh side down, directly on hot grill. The grill should be clean and sprayed with a non-stick spray to prevent the filet from sticking.
4. Cook the fish as long as you can until it starts to stick to the grill. Roughly 5-8 minutes depending on the heat of the grill. The Flesh should be Brown/Black.
5. Turn the filet over and place on a sheet of foil large enough to wrap around filet.
6. Place 3-4, ¼” Thick Pads of Butter on top of filet and wrap aluminum foil around and over fish.
7. Continue cooking 3-5 minutes, (Depending on thickness of Filet)
8. The Fish is done when the flesh flakes apart with a fork.
9. Remove Fish and Foil from the Grill.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve the Fish directly off the foil. The flesh will come off the skin easily, leaving the skin stuck to the foil. Serve over a bed of rice with vegetable d’jour. Squeeze fresh lemon on filet prior to serving.

WARNING: Make more than you think you will need. They will want seconds!
‘You Catch It, You Cook It!’

March 11, 2009

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes."

My friend, David shared this quote.

His wife, Lisa had clipped it out for him and slipped it under his office door, which she often did while he was at work. He loved her inspirational quotes. David had gotten home late on Sept 10th after our Photography Convention Trade Show. He owns a Photography Business in Boston and has been a vendor at the show for many years. Lisa left their house the next morning at 5AM for her flight.She was on Flight 11, flying from Boston to CA for her TJX job.David read this quote that Lisa had cut out for him later on Sept 11th.

David shared this quote in his 911 Thank you notes to others across the country and the world. He said this was a message from Lisa for all of us and wanted to share and inspire others.

David is now remarried, his wife, Debra was a single mom with 2 children, David had 2 young girls and now they have a baby together. David made a choice for himself and his kids to not have anymore of his 'time' taken away as a result of 911.

As I was shuffling through Jeffrey's high school papers this week, I noticed the same quote. The quote by itself is very powerful. Combined with David and Lisa's story it is inspiring for us to remember the importance of attitude and how we can make a difference in others lives.

January 26, 2009

Although the below post may not seem directly related to photographic skills, it has helped us focus on mind, body and spirt. That is our reason for sharing and helping others. In order to work towards our 'Why' as an artist, we needed to focus on solutions for a healthy lifestyle.

As some of you know Jeffrey came down with Lyme-Meningitis 2 years ago in Sept '06 (first week of school was diagnosed, he was 15 years old). After 5 days in the hospital, he was on an at home IV for 4 weeks....through the entire golf season! He was determined to play with the team against all odds. Jeffrey was medalist once during the '06 season when they played against Falmouth at Ocean Edge. A great achievement considering all he was dealing with. Since we were told by the doctors and Lyme specialists that he was young and we caught the Lyme's early enough that he would have no long term effects. If I only knew then what I know now.

Lyme's disease has a mind of its own. So little is actually known about it. Jeffrey's constant symptom was the tiredness. One week, turned into one month, 2 months, 1/2 year and then a full year. Jeffrey could literally fall asleep anywhere at any time, even driving. On Aug 1st after a number of visits to doctor we decided to try nutritional supplements. I had heard a number of stories of people with CFS and Fibromyaglia(sp) and Lyme's that had excellent results with these supplements. Dr. Ben Lo, a well respected doctor from Michigan had researched and tried the products as well. As stubborn as I was that:A. Jeffrey did not have any long term effects from Lyme's andB. That supplements can be expensive and don't always work...We decided to give this a try.

It is now 4 months later since Jeffrey started the supplements and Jeffrey had an incredible golf season. He practiced or played 7 days a week. He was focused, determined and worked very hard as a committed athlete. He shot a 70 at the MA State Sectionals in Oct 08 and won the individual title at the MA State South Sectionals. The NRHS Varsity Team placed first at sectionals.

The following week Jeffrey went on to win the MA State DIV 2 Championship and the NRHS team placed second overall.

Jeffrey was taking LifePak Nano twice daily, along with additional Marine Omega supplements and Cordy Max (promotes healthy stamina). This has definitely made a huge difference in his life. It was a challenge to introduce a 17 year old to a daily regimen of supplements. But it would be even harder to try to take the supplements away from Jeffrey now.

He was committed to MIH. Congratulations Jeffrey! You're an inspiration to all of us!

"A better kid could not have won today," said Nauset coach Brian Hicks, whose Warriors finished second as a team out of 11 schools. "He eats, dreams, and lives the sport and he works harder than any kid I've ever coached."

Duggan was also medalist at the Sectional tournament at Easton Country Club last week with a 1-under 70.

"This was one of my goals at the beginning of the season," Duggan said.

With the greens at lightning speeds to make the 6,100-yard course more difficult, Duggan said keeping the ball below the hole was key to scoring well.

"I didn't have any 3-putts, which really helped," he said. "I didn't think my score would hold up when I got in with all the talent in the field, but I'm pumped."

Tyler Labonte (78), Paul Ecker (80), and Mike Quill (88) helped the Warriors to their most successful finish in the state tournament since they won the title in 1999.

"With Jeff and Paul at the top, it was absolutely a goal of ours to win the title," Hicks said. "We kind of wondered about it in the middle of the season when people were struggling. But we came together."

September 9, 2008

This photo was taken off of Stellwagen Bank/Ptown. I think it would make a great Cell Phone commercial. Nothing like being in the right place at the right time for this 'Canon Moment'!Got Canon?Happy Clicking,marcia

August 21, 2008

Jo Mama's on Route 6A, not only serves great breakfast bagels and coffee, but have wonderful sandwiches all day long. Come see the artist of the month (August), CapeCodSoul.com display of Local Scenes on Tile and Canvas.

More Canvas Giclees from CCSoul on Display at The Reef Cafe at Ocean Edge in Brewster.

August 1, 2008

Click on the link above to watch Randy's last lecture. He lost his battle last week, but left us all with wisdom like Walt Disney, living his life with powerful visualizations, achieving goals and taking action, and living his life with integrity even in the face of terminal adversity.Thank you Randy for reminding us, that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you choose to deal with it.

July 15, 2008

And with boiling water, comes steam.And with steam, you can power a train.

One degree. Applying one extra degree of temperature to water means the difference between something that's simply very hot and something that generates enough force to power a machine - a beautifully uncomplicated metaphor that ideally should feed everything we do.

Two-twelve serves as a forceful drill sergeant with its motivating and focused message while adhering to a scientific law - a natural law - reminding us how seemingly small things can sometimes make tremendous differences.

Two-twelve.

Secrets to success don't exist. We instinctively know it. Success in anything has one fundamental aspect: effort. And in most cases, to achieve exponential results requires extra effort. That's the extra degree.

Thomas Edison said...

"Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

Vince Lombardi tightened it up with...

"Inches make the champion."

212 distills it even further.

From 2000-2006, The PGA Championship winner took home an average of $1,060,714. The second-place finisher averaged $460,657. less. The margin of difference.1.71 strokes. Less than a stroke a day.

At NASCAR's Daytona 500 from 1997-2006 (10 years), the winner took the checkered flag by an average margin of 0.175 seconds. less than two-tenths of a second. For the winner it meant $509,000. more.

How often do we miss an opportunity to create better results because we don't apply a small amount of effort beyond what we normally do? Consider, the impact of making an extra contact each day at work... a sales call... a customer follow-up... a brief discussion with a colleague... an encouraging talk with a member of your team. With contact comes opportunity. At the end of a year you'll have opened more than 200 additional doors of possibility. On the personal side, imagine the exponentially positive results of investing an additional 15 minutes of quality time each day with your children or spouse - an equivalent of more than two weeks each year at work.

No longer will you be able to do only what is required of you, only what is expected of you. Because with awareness comes responsibility - to yourself and others.

July 8, 2008

You can easily find us this month, (July) at Cape Cod Five in Orleans with a display of our tiles. This month's specials are $45 for Tiles or Cocktail Plates or mix-n-match 3/$99. Tiles are 8x10, come ready to hang and are perfect in kitchens or bathrooms. Cocktail Plates are wonderful for back yard summer entertaining, dishwasher safe, and beautiful as stained glass editions to any home.We are liquidating all of our stock Tile/Cocktail Plates, so shop early for best selection. Want to view our entire selection online, CapeCodSoul.com508-247-8294

June 17, 2008

Jeffrey Golf Update:Jeffrey finished sixth in the Division II State Boys tournament last fall.He qualified for the New England High School ChampionshipsOnly 10 MASS, HS Students from each state were selected to playon June 16th at Bretwood Golf Course in Keene, NH.

Jeffrey shot a 79. Congratulations!Official results are still not in this morning.

Have you heard the story about the Junior HS wrestler, 'John' who placed second in his division at the States for 3 years in a row? Everyone congratulated him for his excellent record and results over the past three years. However John was not happy. In his eyes, second was the first loser.

After placing second for the third season in a row, he went home and wrote 'M', 'I', 'H' on the palms of his fingers on his right hand. These letters stayed permanently on his hand all through his summer training and into the next wrestling season.

Adults and kids alike constantly asked him, "What is MIH."

His reply, "You will know after the state meet this year."

John once again competed for the State Title his senior year. Knowing that this was the last chance to Make It Happen, he did exactly that and came home with First Place at States.

June 6, 2008

Hi,I will be donating items from CapeCodSoul for the Fundraiser and happy to assist if you would like to donate raffle items. As I mentioned I lost a few items in the fire, however a few is nothing compared to what these families are dealing with now! Please join me in supporting these families. Would you like to leave a message for the Jalbert's/Langston's. Please feel free to show your support and leave a comment below.

Jalbert/Langston FUNDRAISING EVENT:Due to a house fire on Memorial Day Two Local families have lost their homes in Eastham:

June 4, 2008

These Photos were taken on Friday May 23, 2008 at Lucy Jalbert's studio, 3 days before the fire that swept through their home, destroying the Jalbert's residence and leaving their tenants side of the duplex with heavy smoke and soot damage. With help from family, friends, neighbors and the support of the community the The Studio will reopen hopefully sometime this summer. ( A fundraiser is being planned to assist the Jalbert and Langston families)

May 30, 2008

Visit The Reef Cafe at Ocean Edge Resort, Brewster to see (and purchase) the latest Canvas Limited Edition Giclees from Marcia.(Limited Edition on the canvas series is currently: Limited & First Edition)Take home a CapeCodSoul original Canvas and enjoy the Cape year round!

While you are there, relax in Reef style with Chef/Manager, Philip Flath's new Reef menu.And enjoy Cocktails on the patio....ahhh.... Cape Cod in the summer!

May 21, 2008

The Reef Cafe at Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster is now open for the season. Philip Flath is the new Chef/Manager this year looking forward to Cape life after years as a chef at the Hilton in Boston. Along with the Reef's new chef, menu and management, they also have new decor. Keeping in the 'Reef theme', local artist Marcia Duggan's unique coastal photography provides the perfect complement to the refreshing new Cape Cod Classic Cafe. Marcia's new selection of limited edition canvas images can be seen and purchased at The Reef Cafe. A boutique at the Cafe with limited edition Photo Tiles and Cocktail Plates by Marcia will also be available for purchase. Bon Appetite!

May 5, 2008

As I drove along Route 6A, these daffodils caught my attention. At first I photographed the daffodils closeup without their surroundings. I photographed them from the front, and the side but still did not have the image I was looking for. Then I added a few shots of the daffodils as they framed the church that was on the same side of the street as the flowers. The sun was behind me and it was casting very contrasty shadows on the church. I knew the final image was going to have too much contrast so I stopped, and looked around for a different point of view.

It wasn't until I turned around that I found the image that really showed off the beauty of the daffodils....backlit, with the sun adding a 3 dimensional look. Since I had to contend with the pavement running right through the center of my photograph, I decided to crouch low and have the daffodils camoflouge the road. The barn with the bikes was not staged!

A little luck and a little being in the right place at the right time.

April 30, 2008

The Netherlands produces 60% of the worlds commercially grown flowers including the famous Dutch Tulip. As beautiful as the tulips are to see in the gardens, notice the difference when the image is cropped tight. Don't have a macro or long lens? Thats ok, be a human zoom.....get closer to your subject and see your image in a whole new light.

April 13, 2008

This past week over 300 photographers gathered at Ocean Edge Resort for NEIPP (New England Institute of Professional Photography). (NEIPP is an annual event, www.ppane.com for more info.) I had the opportunity to sit in with a few of the instructors as I was volunteering with the models this year. This photo of Samantha was taken at Rock Harbor for her senior photo in 2006. We had a great time making the photos and not only does it show in Sam's expressions, but we also have the great memories from the portrait session we shared. This photo was not the one she chose to use in her Yearbook, but as a parent I love this image of her as she twirls her hair.... it captures a look I have seen her whole life and evokes so many wonderful memories! I have always felt that the final image from a portrait session is a blending of the subject and the imagemaker. .....All professional photographers are not the same!

As a professional photographer I have seen so many changes as we have transitioned from film to digital. Regardless of the end result, the physical process of having a professional photographer capture an event such as a wedding or a family portrait has remained a constant. A professional photographer still has to have professional skills, the technical ability, the business sense and the passion to separate them from an amateur photographer. So does the end justify the means? These days if all else fails during the actual session it is possible to do some damage control in Photoshop and quite possibly provide a 'decent' image. In my opinion a professional photographer is a professional not only because they can repeatedly create and produce professional images, but because they have the skills to provide a professional experience from start to finish.

I remember at the end of each beach portrait session or wedding I photographed back in the 'film' days, my customers would often comment on what a great 'job' I did that day, however at that point they had not seen a single image from their session. I had accomplished what I set out to do during the actual event and that was to provide an enjoyable experience while creating the images. To lose this mindset just because we have digital tools today that can influence the final outcome is to lose what makes us professionals. The final image is very important and still must be of the highest quality, but the journey to create the images including the feelings, the emotion and the passion must still be a top priority of the professional photographic process today.

March 19, 2008

This is just ONE of my reasons for backing up my digital files. I back up my files to an external hard drive which works with a PC or a MAC. On the PC, I often use the Maxtor One Touch Backup System with Retrospect Software. However, remember that an external hard drive is still a computer hard drive, it can crash and it can get viruses like your computer. For double insurance, I also back up my photos online, http://www.capecodsoul.com/workshops.htm for safe keeping in the event of a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina and the California Fires.

March 7, 2008

The white dresses in this portrait help give the image a timeless look. Capturing the sisters as they walk towards the Chatham Bridge tells a story about their relationship. This image was the families favorite from the portrait session and was later made into a wall portrait. This image won the Front Page Photo Contest for the Professional Photographers of Cape Cod (www.ppocc.org) in 2004.

The photo below, was made into a Holiday Greeting Card to share with family and friends.

Before moving on to the 'How To' part of photography, taking the time to write down and really understand your 'WHY' will help define your purpose and goal of making a photograph. Having vision of what your photograph will look like before you actually push the shutter and why you are making this photograph will help guide you to your desired outcome.

Below is an excerpt from Bill Toth, a successful entrepreneur from Houston:

"BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND""You've just been asked to put together a jigsaw puzzle. Having done many such puzzles, you're excited to get started. You pour out all 1,000 pieces, spreading them out across a large table. You then pick up the lid of the box and look at what you're putting together. But there's no picture! It's blank! How will you ever be able to finish the puzzle without knowing what it looks like, you wonder? If you only had a one-second glimpse of what it's supposed to be. That's all you need one picture of the finished product. What a difference it would make! Without the vision of the finished product, putting together the puzzle will take a really long time....

A great way to focus your "WHY" is to ask yourself, how achieving any particular goal will benefit others."

March 3, 2008

Warm Wishes!One rainy cool summer afternoon, we decided to head to the Sandwich Boardwalk. On a sunny warm summer day at high tide this spot would be standing room only to jump from the boardwalk. Yes, it was a little cool and we all got wet...even those of us who didn't jump, and we all remember the FUN that we had that day.This image was later reprinted as our famous Duggan Holiday Card 2000, with the sentiment 'Warm Wishes!' This photo won the 'Youth Theme award' at Professional Photographers of Massachusetts (PPAM), 2001 Convention, and was my first Loan Print from PPA (Prof Photographers of America).

When the famous mural artist Robert Wyland, www.wyland.com, was recently asked, How do you create murals?He replied, (paraphrase)

"The question is not, How? The question is, Why?"

As long as you have access to the internet you can research and solve almost any 'how to' question. The answers are only a few clicks away. So how come we don't know how to do everything? Because it's your WHY that motivates you.

If you want to have more control to produce a desired outcome when making pictures you must first ask yourself 'Why'?

February 27, 2008

Life is not all about the final destination, it's about the journey. The journey is what you make it....

A few nights ago the lottery was up to $275 million. I bought my tickets and visualized what I would do with the winnings. How would I change my life? Would I change my life? What would be my 'perfect day' if I won the megabucks? If you could make enough money to walk away and be done....what would that mean to you? Lottery winner or not, my visualizations always include my photographic journey.

Photography is the visual means to blend the art and soul of the subject with the creator.

This blog is intended to open our eyes and provide tips and tricks for the 'how to' of photography, and to open our minds to the 'Why' behind each click.